The effect of tillage, crop establishment and weed management was studied on theperformance of wheat grown after soybean at New Delhi, India during 2010-11 to 2011-12.Sixteen treatment combinations involved 2 tillage, viz. conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage(ZT), two crop establishment practices, viz. raised-bed and flat-bed and four weed management,viz. isoproturon + hand weeding, mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron, soybean stover + isoproturonand unweeded control. Population density and dry weight of weeds was significantlymore under raised-bed than flat-bed, particularly under ZT condition, while under flat-bed, thedifferences between CT and ZT were on par. Weed control efficiency was the highest(90.7-91.4%) under isoproturon + hand weeding and significantly higher than other treatments(86.5-90.2%). Yield losses under unweeded control were 23.1-26.1%. Grain yield of wheatunder ZT-flat-bed (4.46-4.73 ton ha-1) was equal to that under CT-flat-bed (4.44-4.79 ton ha-1),which was comparatively more than raised-bed conditions. All weed control practices were onpar and equally effective improving the yield of grain (19.2-27.5%) as well as straw (14.0%)compared with unweeded control. Nutrient uptake by crop decreased linearly with increase innutrient removal by weeds. The highest net benefit: cost ratio was under ZT-flat-bed andmesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (3.04) followed by soybean stover mulch + isoproturon (2.84).It was concluded that wheat can be grown underzero-till condition with post-emergenceherbicide application for realizing higher productivity and profitability in the Indo-Gangentciplains of India.

A two-year experiment was carried out to study the effects of pollinator line characteristicson the quantity and quality of monogerm hybrid seed production in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)and select proper pollinator for five promising sugar beet cytoplasmic male sterile lines (CMSs)during 2012-2013 growing seasons. In this study, four diploid pollinator lines were crossed byfive CMSs of sugar beet. It was proved that the concurrence of flowering time between femaleand male parents and pollen and pollination characters is essential for sugar beet hybrid seedproduction. Pollinator lines SHR01-P.12 and F-8662 had the largest number of pollens. Theduration of pollination for SHR01-P.12 and F-8662 was longer than other pollinator lines.Moreover, the most synchronizationof male and female recipient flowers was related to thepollen donors of SHR01-P.12 and F-8662 by the pollen receptors of 7112×SB36 andSB37×28874. Hybrids derived from crosses of CMS lines with pollinator lines SHR01-P.12 andF-8662 had significantly less empty seed percentage and the highest raw seed yield, saleableseed yield, standard seed percentage, while hybrid seeds derived from crosses of pollinator lineS1-88239 by CMS lines had the lowest quantity and quality. Our results showed that unlikeCMS lines 7112*436, the CMS lines 7112×SB36 and SB37×28874 419*SB36 and 261*231produced the highest number of seeds with the highest quality.

Wheat–cotton double cropping practices on a large scale in cotton belt of the Yellow RiverValley and the Yangtze River Valley in China. Field experiments were conducted to determinethe effects of wheat–cotton double cropping on cotton biomass accumulation and yieldformation during 2011/12 and 2012/13 growing seasons. Two cotton cultivars, Siza 3 (mid–latematurity) and CCRI 50 (early maturity), were used in three cropping systems includingmonoculture cotton (MC), wheat/intercropped cotton (W/IC) and wheat/direct–seeded cotton(W/DC). Lint yield in double cropping systems were significantly lower than that inmonoculture. Compared with MC for Siza 3, lint yield in W/IC and W/DC were decreased by10.9 and 41.8%, respectively and 9.9 and 35.9% for CCRI 50, respectively. These reductionswere largely ascribed to the fewer cotton bolls per unit area. Growth analysis showed that ICshowed a pronounced delay in early development due to the initial shading from wheat oncotton seedlings and owing to delayed sowing, DC was easily affected by lower temperatureduring flowering and boll formation stage. And that consequently was delaying reproductivedevelopment, affecting cotton biomass accumulation and distribution and finally limiting cropproductivity. Further, the diminished source capacity coupled with inadequate biomassproduction was the main determinant factor to limit lint yield in W/IC, while the reduced sinkcapacity with less partition to reproductive organs was the primary factor limiting lint yield inW/DC. Comparing to mid–late maturity of Siza 3, early maturity cultivar of CCRI 50 had ayield advantage in double cropping sequential system, since its shorter growing period.

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the yield and chemical composition of triticalegrain in different crop rotation and tillage systems. The first experimental factor was thecropping system – a) crop rotation and b) monoculture and the second factor was the tillagesystem – 1) conventional (CT), 2) reduced (RT) and 3) no-tillage (NT). The spring triticale yieldwas found to be 15.4% higher for crop rotation than for monoculture and 19.4-22.4% higher inCT than in RT and NT. Crop rotation also increased the content of starch in the grain, as well asthat of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe), with respect to monoculture. Triticale grainfrom the CT plots contained more starch, magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) thangrain from RT and NT. Crude fibre content, however, was higher in the grain harvested fromthe monoculture than in the case of crop rotation. Higher fibre content was also noted in thegrain from NT and RT than from CT.

Broomrapes are obligate root parasitic weeds and major constraint to many dicotyledoncrops especially in Mediterranean agricultural lands. Due to the fact that no single controlmeasure is able to control broomrapes in the field satisfactorily, integrated management isrecommended in general. The use of of trap crops or catch crops is an important strategy forcontrolling the weeds; and allelopathic plants are also utilized for the control. Trap crops, alsocalled false hosts, are plants which stimulate the germination of the parasite seed but cannot beinfested and thus reduce the seed population in the soil. On the other hand, catch crops stimulatethe germination of the parasite seeds at a high frequency and allow the development of theparasite. Seed bank of the broomrapes are decreased by destroying the catch crops before theseed creating period of broomrape begins (Sauerborn, 1991). Field trials were conducted usingflax (Linum usitatissimum L.) as a trap plant; lentil (Lens culinaris L.) as a catch plant; membersof the Brassicaceae species, such as cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), Brussels sprouts (Brassicaoleracea var. gemmifera (DC.) Thell.), broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck),cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.), canola (Brassica napus L.) and turnip (Brassicarapa var. rapa L.) as allelopathic plant in the Adana province (Turkey) in 2007-2009. Flax wasthe most effective treatment by decreasing 52% and 71% in shoot number and 55% and 26% indry weight of O. crenata in the first and second year, respectively. Broccoli of the Brassicaceaefamily, was found to reduce the number of O. crenata shoots by 48% and 39% in two years.Regarding the effect of Brassicaceae family on O. crenata, broccoli was found to reduce thenumber of O. crenata shoots by 39%. It is concluded that growing flax as a trap plant or lentil asa catch crop two months before the sowing of lentil as a crop is can be a main element ofintegrated broomrape managament, which cause to reduce the soil seed bank of crenatabroomrape.

This study was conducted to determine whether selecting an optimum sowing date couldimprove yield. The experiment consisted of sowing a film-covered, drip-irrigated cotton field onfour sowing dates from April to May in 2011-2012 at the Agrometeorological ExperimentalStation of Wulanwusu, which was in an arid region of north-western China. Late sowing datesproduced less yield and water-use efficiency than did the normal sowing dates. The yieldincreased with the increases of mean diurnal temperature range (DTR) from full bloom tomaturity, mean temperature and sunshine hours (SH) during the whole growing season (WGS),accumulated temperature (AT) and days from squaring to anthesis and mean temperature duringthe reproductive growth stage. However, the main effect factors of meteorological parameterswere AT from squaring to anthesis, mean temperature during the WGS and AT from sowing toemergence. The main effect factors of yield component were boll number per plant, gin turnoutand boll weight. Boll number per plant suffered from mean DTR from boll setting to maturityand SH during the WGS. Gin turnout was affected by mean temperature during the WGS andmean DTR from boll setting to maturity. Sowing date, year and their interactions allsignificantly affected the yield. Sowing date was an important factor affecting the yield andreproductive duration. With climate change, an earlier planting date might be an efficientmethod of increasing yield.

Organic farming has become increasingly popular in the world. This is mostly attributed toescalating consumer concerns over the impacts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on humanhealth as well as growing concerns over environmental pollution derived from modernagricultural practices, such as rising greenhouse gas emissions and water contaminations. Butdoes organic farming actually displace the environmental impacts commonly associated withconventional agriculture? In this article, we analysed the recent results of environmental impactsfrom organic farming. The aim was to fill the gap in assessing organic farming’s relationship toclimate change and evaluating sustainability of this system with a minimal energy andenvironmental damage over time. Despite the efforts of recent years, there is still considerableroom for the environmental optimisation of organic farming systems. The lower, similar orhigher impacts of organic farming, depended on crop types, site effects and differences inmanagement intensity. The conclusions here are exploratory and act as a call to action to naturalscientists to further explore how organic farming functions. Feeding the growing worldpopulation under conditions of restricted land for agricultural cultivation, restricted naturalresources and changing climate demands new and innovative solutions. These solutions requirethe agricultural community, to address agricultural systems from a perspective of increasing theproductivity per area with lower external inputs and enhancing resource use efficiency withoutnegative effects on crop yield and system sustainability.